The City Council Tuesday declared July to be Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month in San Diego, just days before the start of the 41st annual LGBT Pride Celebration.
The unanimous declaration also came not quite three weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage.
Councilman Todd Gloria, who is gay, said last month's high court ruling and news that the Secretary of Defense is reconsidering whether to allow transgender people into the military are examples of "forward progress" in the LGBT community.
"But I want to remind everyone that there's still so much work to be done, which is why events like Pride are important," Gloria said.
He said the LGBT community still faces discrimination in housing and employment in some states, transgender people still lack full equality, seniors are "forced back into the closet for their golden years," and youth are bullied at school and experience high rates of suicide and homelessness.
Pride events begin Friday with the annual Stonewall Rally, which commemorates protests in New York City that sparked the gay rights movement, and a block party in Hillcrest. The parade is Saturday on University Avenue in Hillcrest, and the music festival will feature five stages Saturday and Sunday in Balboa Park.
